


Fight For Survival

by luckypixi



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Brother Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Claustrophobia, Gen, Heroic!Bofur, Hurt!Bilbo, Hurt!Thorin, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Trolls, Underground, hurt!Fili - Freeform, hurt!Kili, protective!Thorin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-09 20:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3264119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckypixi/pseuds/luckypixi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trapped in an abandoned mine deep below the ground, will the Dwarves survive when they find themselves captured by a familiar foe-who may not be as easy to fool as last time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first Hobbit fic I ever wrote...lots of violence, brotherly moments and the Company fighting to surive....will they?

The sun beat down harshly on the long planes of Middle Earth, too hot for even the grasshoppers and birds to make an appearance. The grass had been burnt brown, the smaller flowers retracting their petals to protect themselves.

A long line of Dwarves wound their way around the edge of a small copse of trees, the pinecones littering the floors tripping up a certain Hobbit on more than one occasion.

On the fourth time Bilbo Baggins had found himself cursing under his breath after stepping on a particularly sharp cone, Fili and Kili had started to take it upon themselves to walk in front of the Hobbit and foreworn him against the impending dangers.

'Jump!' shouted Kili, nodding at his older brother; the pair picked up the smaller Hobbit under the arms and hoisted him off the ground, setting him back down when the danger passed. They then carried this on until Bilbo shouted 'No!' and hopped away, clambering back onto his pony, leaving the two Dwarven brothers laughing.

Thorin, who was walking at the head of the Company, suppressed a smile. His nephews could be foolhardy, he knew, but he would have no others by his side in battle. Wiping his sweating brow, the Prince shot a glance at Gandalf, who rode to his left side, faltering slightly in the heat.

The Wizard had taken the long way round, it seemed. To their right the shadow of the trees looked mightily inviting; a cool haven from this punishing sunlight.

'Can we stop for just a minute?' Bofur called from several paces behind the head of the Group. Bofur had taken his hat off in protest and stuffed it into his pack tied to his mule; even the animals were struggling.

'We can't carry on in this heat! We've been going for hours' Bofur looked at his leader, before glancing around at his companions, who nodded in agreement.

Bilbo looked up at Gandalf; they hadn't rested since they had set of that morning and it was certainly now past lunchtime.

'Make for the trees' Thorin barked, turning his mule. He saw Gandalf turn to him out the corner of his eye.

'I do not suggest we take the path through the trees' said the Wizard gravely. 'Not these particular trees, Thorin.'

'And why not?' queried Fili, 'These trees are the same as those trees' he pointed to a distant clump of trees, 'and those trees over there' he pointed to a patch of trees just behind them. The dwarves behind him murmured in agreement.

Gandalf looked troubled. 'I suggest we carry on until we reach the stop point. It is only a few hours away.'

'The mules won't last a few more hours!' cried Bilbo, looking down at his pony with sympathy. 'What harm can the trees do, Gandalf?'

Gandalf looked agitated, casting a long look into the silence of the forest. 'It is not the trees that worry me, Bilbo Baggins.'

'Then what?' barked Thorin. He was growing impatient now. Impatient with the Wizard's riddles. The heat was filling his head and tempers were running short. He could not find the way to the Misty Mountains with his army driven mad by the heat. He was not a harsh leader by any means and he knew his Party was suffering. He looked over at Balin; the elder Dwarf was dabbing at his forehead with a damp cloth. They caught one another's eye and Thorin nodded.

'We make to the trees' he called, eyeing Gandalf.

'I can see I am to be overruled. I will just say this; tread lightly.' Gandalf broke his stare with Thorin and looked over at his Party of Fourteen, eyes hooded.

Bilbo nodded, looking up at Fili and Kili, who were flanking him on both sides. Knowing they were going to get out of the heat had brightened the mood slightly, though Gandalf still heaved a troubled sigh.

'Come on then, small Hobbit' laughed Kili, urging his mule into a trot, leading the Company forwards.

As the Dwarves entered the forest the world seemed to silence.

The forest was dark. Darker than it looked from the outside. If Bilbo believed the stories he had heard, he would describe the place as 'haunted'. Ivy hung from dead trees, asphyxiated in their punishing grip, a distant dripping sound of water as clear as the chiming clock in Bilbo's second bedroom.

'Spooky' breathed Kili, looking up at the branches of trees which now blocked out the sun completely.

Rather than being cool under the shade of the trees, it was now cold. Thorin drew his cloak back on, looking around with narrowed eyes. He just managed to duck before a huge expanse of spider web encased his face, hanging eerily from a trio of branches.

'These trees do not make me feel welcome' Balin murmured, looking to Thorin.

'Nor I' chimed in Gloin, who looked up at the trees with distaste.

'We move on!' cried Thorin, urging his mule forwards. He could not go back now, not with the Wizard watching.

With the only sound being the slow trotting of hooves against a twig-filled forest floor, the Company moved on.

Under the expanse of trees, it was impossible to tell what time of day it was; Bilbo had to keep craning his neck to look at the sunlight out in the open, from where they had just came from.

'Fili, look at this' called Kili. The youngest Dwarf was up ahead a few feet, turned towards them on the path.

'What is it?' Fili trotted his mule to meet his brother.

'Closer' urged Kili, smiling broadly. As Fili came closer, Kili reached up and pulled down a branch of a tree, showering a cascade of spider webs down on his brother's head.

'Kili!' shouted Fili angrily, blinding by old, dusty webs stuck in his hair and all over his face.

By now the Company had caught up with the pair.

'Fili, Kili!' barked Thorin. 'Enough foolishness'

Kili laughed, reaching over and pulling handfuls of web off his brother. Gandalf rode a little apart from the Group, looking uneasy. Bilbo noticed he had his Staff raised and was tapping at the ground at regular intervals. He looked inquisitively up at the Wizard, but didn't manage to meet his eye.

'They taste….disgusting!' Fili gagged as he pulled a long web out his mouth.

'We must move on' commanded Gandalf, looking sharply at Thorin, who glared back.

'What have I missed?' Bilbo turned as Bombur trotted up to them. He had stopped riding his mule to give it a rest in the heat and hadn't managed to clamber back on. His jowl wobbled as he lifted his head to look around.

As he walked into the middle of the group there came an almighty crack and the ground seemed to shake. Rocks and pebbles seemed to shake loose and Bilbo only had enough time to look up at Gandalf in panic before the ground disappeared beneath his feet.

The darkness beneath the trees was nothing compared to the darkness they fell through. Ten feet, maybe more. They came to a sickening stop with a crack, painfully hard on solid objects and patches of oozing wetness; they were lucky they didn't stab themselves with their own swords. The cave they had found themselves in stank of rotting flesh. Of death.

Thorin groaned and looked upwards; he could just see the forest from where they had fallen. He gently touched his head, at his temple. His hand came back sticky with blood.

Before they had time to look around, or even cry out or draw their weapons, hands reached out from the darkness towards them.

Fili grabbed for his brother, eyes wide, trying to see through the darkness as huge fingers grabbed at him.

'Fili!'

Shouts rang out in the darkness, all-encompassing blackness pressing in as Gandalf shouted in anger. Or pain?

Bilbo didn't know which way was up now- his head was ringing from a blow that came out of nowhere- sheer panic engulfed him.

Kili gasped for air- he was caught, he knew that. The air was being pushed from his lungs against his will, his body being squeezed. He had to find Fili… if anything happened to him….

All of a sudden, a bright blue light shone out, breaking the darkness apart.

Bilbo blinked, eyes searing. But when he looked up, he wished he was still encased in blackness. He looked around in horror, an expression mirrored on more than one of the Dwarves faces. Fili found Kili and the pair shared a look of fear.

'Well.' Came a low groan from one of the huge mountain trolls holding them, blood and drool hanging from its mouth. Its huge eyes were bigger than the front door of Bag End.

'Looks like we're eating well tonight'


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls begin preparing for their dinner, and the Company starts to understand they're not getting out so easily....

Fili looked up with wide eyes. There were at least five huge mountain trolls all squashed into the cave around them. Some of his comrades were on the ground, huddled in a protective group, Bombur in the middle, his girth serving little protection to the others, while he and his brother seemed the only ones in the hands of these monsters.

'Get back!'

Thorin drew his sword, fire burning in his eyes as he watched his nephews being flung this way and that as the troll's holding them struggled to pinpoint him. 'Drop them!'

'Gladly' came the groaning, animalistic reply and Thorin cried out in horror as Kili was suddenly dropped; falling at least fifteen feet onto the ground below. He hit the stone floor with a sickening thud.

'Kili!'

Fili looked down at his younger brother, who hadn't moved or made a sound since he hit the ground; he could see the blood pooling around his head in a halo. He turned in anger to his captor, struggling to reach his sword.

Thorin darted forwards; he had to reach his nephew- he wasn't moving, he couldn't be dead… but Gandalf reached forward and pulled him back as a huge foot loomed over his head, crashing to the bone covered floor inches from where Thorin had stood.

'My food!' roared the particularly brutal looking troll, huge black eyes bearing down on Thorin who glared back.

'Over my dead body!' he shouted and made forwards again, determined to reach his youngest nephew.

He had made a few steps before a muscular, solid hand came hurling his way, the troll yelling in anger as he swiped at the dwarf. As strong as Thorin Oakenshield was, he was no match for a well- aimed hit from a mountain troll. Kili shouted in anger as Thorin hit the opposite wall with a horrifying crack, slid down to the floor and didn't move.

'No! Thorin!' Fili struggled as much as he could, but the troll just looked down at him.

'Break your bones, I will!' he told him with blackened teeth, squeezing harder.

Fili stopped struggling at once, feeling ribs cracking; he could feel his own blood thumping through his head, his ears ringing with his heartbeat…it was getting harder and harder to breathe….

There was absolute silence in the cave. No dwarf spoke and no troll moved.

Then the largest troll, the one who had downed Thorin, spoke.

'Put them with the others!'

He motioned to the group of dwarves on the floor and two of the trolls moved forwards, shuffling along and hearing the dwarves with their feet into a corner. Seeing his opportunity, Bofur took his chance; pulling his sword and savagely swiping at the foot of the nearest troll, he quickly hopped over the huge toes and onto the stone floor. He looked around for the exit, anything to help them escape-

But he wasn't quick enough.

A huge shadow came across his face and Bofur shouted in anger as a hand picked him up, holding him tightly around the middle.

'Bad dwarf we save 'till last' the troll holding him licked his lips and threw him into what looked like a makeshift cage.

It was made crudely out of tree-bark, branches and huge logs and boulders. With a looming swipe, the remaining dwarves were kicked into the cage, falling against each other.

'No!'

Bilbo rushed forwards, but caught in the crush of dwarves, couldn't make it to the heavy tree-stump door in time.

'Kili!' Fili called to his brother, eyes wide and searching. The panic rose in his chest as his brother didn't answer, didn't move.

'Get a fire going!' yelled a yellow-looking troll with blood dripping from his mouth, spattering his chest.

The troll holding Fili bent down and flung him to the floor; Fili stumbled before sprinting forwards, throwing himself to his knees at his brothers side.

'Kili…no!' he whispered; his wounds were so much worse than he first thought. Blood drenched the right hand side of his face from a jagged cut beneath his hair, flowing down his neck and staining the fabric of his tunic. Fili quickly ripped off part of his own under-tunic, holding it to his little brother's head.

'Come on…' he muttered, frantically shaking his brother's shoulder. After what seemed like a lifetime, Kili's eyes fluttered open.

'Fili?'

'Yes' Fili scanned Kili's face for other injuries, any confusion.

The pain in his head was indescribable. Kili flinched and felt the bile rise in his throat as warm blood flowed down his face; the stench of iron was overpowering. He forced himself to open his eyes and blinked through the blurriness. His eyes widened in fear.

'Behind you!' he cried, pointing.

Fili pulled out his long knife and swiped blindly, and there was a thud on the floor as a finger fell severed to the floor from the hand that had been reaching for him.

The troll screamed in pain and anger and reached forward again.

'Come on!' Fili yelled, grabbing his brother around the neck and pulling. Kili cried out in pain and flinched away, but Fili held tight, pulling him to his feet.

'Food!' came the deafening shout and more hands reached forward. There came the unmistakable sound of crackling wood and heat exploded in the cave; the trolls had made a fire.

'You cooked first!'

'You touch him again and I'll kill you!' yelled Fili, watching his brother sway on his feet, blinded by his own blood. He himself felt sore around the middle, finding it harder and harder to breathe as his misplaced ribs rubbed against his lungs. He coughed and tasted iron.

He didn't see the troll come up behind him, but he did hear Kili shout his name as his feet left the floor again. He felt what could only be roughly made twine being wound around him and something long and straight being pressed against his back. The troll let go of his body and panic hit him as he thought he may fall; but he didn't.

He was hung on the end of a spit.

'Salted dwarf!' came a shout and his stomach lurched as he was flung sideways. The troll holding him reached into a large crate or barrel, coming back with a handful of white coarse powder.

'Fili!'

Before Fili could turn to his brother, he gagged as the troll pressed salt into his face; he didn't even have time to close his eyes. Eyeballs searing with pain from the salt that was being packed into them, he coughed and vomited up blood and bile as salt forced it way into his mouth.

'Better salted!' cried a troll and the other's agreed.

Watching his big brother shaking his head and spitting out his stomach contents, Kili growled in anger. Ignoring the pain in his head the best he could, he ran forwards, quickly pulling out his own sword and aiming at the foot of the troll holding Fili.

But someone grabbed him round the middle and threw him backwards, onto the floor. His head burst open again, a sickening pain filling his stomach, making it impossible to see.

'Kili!' he heard his uncle yell his name and slowly his face swam into focus. Thorin held him tightly by the shoulders, face right up into his.

'Wait! We must think- these trolls are not stupid!'

'They're going to eat him!'

Thorin turned and looked at his eldest nephew; he was being rubbed down now, the salt clinging to his hair and clothes.

They moved backward and Thorin yelled angrily as another troll came thudding their way, leering down at them with hatred and greed in its eyes.

'Which one do we roast first?'

Thorin and Kili watched with fear in their eyes as hands came looming towards them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Trolls get hungry and start to decide how they're going to cook the Company...

Thorin let out a savage yell and swiped viciously with his sword in a wide arc, cutting a gash into the palm of the troll reaching for him. He would not let these things eat his nephews…

'Ow! I'm not eating that one!' growled the troll, swiping at the dwarf, 'He's got sharps bits!'

'Then take the sharp bits off!'

The troll blinked, before sucking the saliva running down its face back into its mouth and advancing again.

'Run, Kili!' Thorin grabbed his youngest nephew around the middle and bodily threw him under the troll's legs, Kili scrambling to his feet and trying to pinpoint his brother. Panic kept bubbling up in his stomach, his head still pounding…he could hardly see straight, let alone run straight.

Fili heaved up air now; his stomach empty of everything and his throat still searing from the salt. He could barely open his eyes, the white hot pain pounding through his head. His arms had been painfully wrenched behind his back, tied together by large clumsy hands. He could feel warm blood trickling down his arms.

'Kili!' he shouted, blind to his brother's struggles.

'Where'd we put that bacon?' he heard a troll yell. Another troll stomped off.

Fili heard scrambling in the corner, his dwarven ears sharp.

'Leave them…leave them alone!'

Bilbo grabbed his sword and looked around for a gap in the tree-branch prison he was in.

'Bilbo!' Bofur pulled him around and grabbed him round the middle. He heaved and Bilbo saw his chance; Bofur was pushing him towards a small gap. He took his chance and scrambled through. He hit the ground painfully and straightened up.

''ere…looks like we got a rat!'

Bilbo turned in indignation, but yelled as he found himself being hauled upside down. Head swimming, he shouted in shock as he looked a troll straight in the eye, it's foul breath filling his nostrils.

'It looks like a little man!' it exclaimed, reaching out with a filthy finger.

'I like little men!' called another, the one who was holding Fili. 'I like 'em boiled!'

'Boiled? Mmmm'

Bilbo's stomach dropped.

'Bilbo!'

Thorin came charging forwards, sword aloft. The troll turned around, let out a low growl and kicked out, hitting Thorin in the stomach and pushing him back onto the floor.

'We'll eat the fast one first!'

'Where's me filleting knife?'

Thorin kicked out as a hand picked him up; he looked across and found Bilbo being held in the other hand.

'Do we squash…' the troll squeezed Bilbo and Thorin hard as it spoke 'all the guts out first?'

Bilbo spluttered for breath and yelled as he felt his bones crunching together…another few inches and he would be flatter than the pages of his precious books…

Thorin reached around and grabbed his knife, stabbing it into the hand that was holding him, but to no effect.

'Tastes better if we leave 'em in!' came the reply.

Thorin felt his bones jar and his teeth smash together as he was flung to the side, twisted upside down…

His vision blacked out and he saw stars as he was dunked headfirst into a large amount of water, his head hitting the bottom of the cauldron. He heard a faint slash and knew Bilbo had been thrown in next to him.

The Dwarf came up for air, coughing and spluttering, arms flailing- it was not in the nature of a Dwarf to swim.

'Bilbo!' he yelled, searching, hair plastered to his forehead.

'I'm here…I'm here!' coughed Bilbo, treading water. He swam over and patted Thorin on the arm. 'Don't panic' he told him. 'It's not too deep…what on earth…?' Something in the water touched his leg and the Hobbit reached down to grab it.

Both Thorin and Bilbo's eyes widened when the saw the carrot. All around them, all manner of vegetables were popping up to the surface.

'They mean to boil us' breathed Thorin. 'We must get out of here!'

They both looked up; the cauldron was high, the edges smooth with nowhere to grip onto to climb out.

'What's that smell?'

Thorin sniffed. 'Wood…they've built a fire.'

Bilbo let out a snort of sarcastic laughter 'Well, at least they're organised.'

Thorin rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

-x-

Kili knelt behind a rock next to the prison. He had wiped the blood from his face the best his could, but he knew his wounds were still bleeding. He looked up at his brother.

Fili was now hung about fifteen feet off the ground, not yet over the fire, but over a chasm of sharp rocks. He looked unconscious, but once in a while Kili would see him struggle; he noticed he kept his eyes firmly shut. The trolls were huddled around a large chopping board, and Kili couldn't see what they were doing; his Dwarf comrades were very still and silent, unwilling to draw attention to themselves.

Kili sucked in a breath before running as fast as he could towards where his brother was hung. He stood underneath.

'Fili!' he hissed loudly, 'Fili, wake up!'

'Can't see!' came the reply. Kili could've laughed in relief; his brother was alive. That was all that mattered.

'Can you untie yourself?'

He was Fili frown. 'No…don't think so'

'I'm coming up!'

Kili, ignoring the pain in his head, held a firm grip on the nearest rock, before hauling himself up. He climbed up, head pounding, more blood running down the back of his neck.

'What's happening, Kili?'

'They've got Thorin and Bilbo'

'Damn' sighed Fili, struggling in his bonds.

'Don't move! Do you know how far up you are?'

'No…'

Kili reached out as soon as he was near enough. 'I'm going to try and get the salt out your eyes first, ok?'

Fili nodded and felt some reassurance as his brother's gentle hand rubbed at his eyes, trying to rid the salt. It felt as if he was rubbing sandpaper up and down it.

'It won't all come out till we wash it…can you open them now?'

Fili let out a pained breath before forcing himself to open his eyes. The pain was awful, but he focussed on his brother's face.

'Alright?'

'I'm going to untie one leg…then you swing round and I'll untie the other…don't let go!' he warned his big brother. It should've been the other way round- Fili was always there to get him out of trouble, even when they were children. It was an odd experience for it to be the other way around.

-x-

'It's getting past comfortable bath water temperature now'

Thorin glanced at Bilbo, whose face had gone quite red in the heat of the water.

'Don't move as much…keep still.'

'They're trying to boil us!'

Thorin let out a breath from between his teeth. The water was quite hot, but they had a while until it was hot enough to boil them. He shrugged off his heavy cloak and watched it float in the water.

'What are we going to do?'

'There's nothing we can do!' he yelled at the Hobbit, his voice echoing in the confines of the cauldron. He hated feeling like this, not being in charge. He didn't like the thought of other's having to have to save him…he shouldn't need saving.

He looked up again…there had been no sound from Kili or Fili. Or any other dwarves, for that matter.

What was happening up there?

-x-

'That's it…' Kili coaxed his brother. They were nearly through…just one more leg was attached.

'Look!'

Fili's hand nearly slipped as a booming voice echoed around the cave.

'He's stealing our food!'

'Go, Kili!' he yelled at his brother, but Kili shook his head.

'I won't leave you again!' he shouted angrily, pulling at the binds quicker.

'This one's another quick one!' said the troll, cocking it's head and looking at the youngest Dwarf.

'Noo!' Fili screamed out in fury as another hand came to claim his brother, Kili kicking as he was squashed into the palm of another troll.

'Get the tenderiser!'

'No..' breathed Kili as he was smashed back-first onto hard stone and his arms and legs held apart, so he was star shaped.

He groaned as blood filled his mouth, eyes bleary as he looked up at the stone ceiling. Six troll faces loomed down at him.

'Kili!' he could still hear his brother calling him.

'Let me go!'

'I got it!'

Kili's breath left him as he saw what the troll had brought with him.

It was a wooden mallet, with blood encrusting the sides and mould growing along the handle.

'Meat tastes better if it's tender!' boomed the troll weiling the device.

Kili didn't have time to try and struggle before the mallet came slamming down.

He yelled in agony as it hit his legs, not hard enough to break bone but enough to seriously bruise. Again the mallet came down, this time hitting his middle.

He felt bones break this time, ribs cracking, his breath pushed with him with the strength of a thousand horses.

He didn't even have enough breath to scream as the mallet came down again.


End file.
